East Lansing, Mich. — Eastern Michigan University men’s basketball team officially open up the 2010-11 basketball season with a trip into the promise land of Breslin Arena the home of the No.2 team in the nation Michigan State University Friday night.

Father Tom Izzo who is also known as the Michigan State University basketball coach parted the crowd as he entered the building and the season began for Eastern Michigan University basketball coach Charles Ramsey as he lead his team into the house that legends of basketball have build.

Eastern Michigan University poor shooting from the field and from the foul line doomed the Eagles as the Michigan State Spartans defense left a giant imprint on the backside of the Eagles with a 96-66 defeat in front of a packed Breslin Arena.

At times during the game the Eagles seemed to be struggling with themselves and the Spartans

“The better team won,” Ramsey said after the game. “We are going back and evaluate, we will take something from this, they are the number two team in the country and at times they looked like it and time we did some things very well at times we didn’t. Game one of a long season and we will see were we progress.”

Eastern Michigan University started the game feeling the electrical charge from the full house and with a heartfelt emotion but it was not enough to carry them through out the game, the Spartans were just too big, too quick and just too much talent.

Michigan State played like a team that had every solution the Eagle offense played, the Spartans defense pushed the Eagle offense to the perimeter and clogged the lanes with big bodies and that demanding defense limited the Eagles too many one shot trips down the floor.

At the other end of the court, the Spartan offense exposed the Eagles lack of ability to play defense. Izzo’s team played with a mission, to dominate the offensive boards. The Spartans out rebounded the Eagles 51-40 and getting nine second chance points.

The Eagle defense allowed the Spartans too many good looks at the rim. The Spartans left the floor at the end of the game shooting a blistering 52.5 percent from the field but Izzo said after the game he thought that the Spartans left too many points at the free throw line.

The Spartans had six players score in double figures led by Kalin Lucas who is on the road to recovery of serious injury he suffered in the NCAA tournament last season, he scored 18 points and dished out six assist.

The second half the Eagles saw more Michigan State defense domination.

Eastern Michigan University tried and slow down the offense and get into a half court pace and get a good shots or a foul but too many times they would walk over to the sideline and look for some kind of answer from Ramsey.

Senior power forward Brandon Bowdry led the Eagles and finished the game with 32 points and 15 rebounds.

He played with a great deal of intensity and proved to his team mates that he is the emotional leader of the Eagles.

“I applauded his effort,” Ramsey said about his senior power forward. “It is a team game we did not get any assistance tonight out of a couple of people tonight. In a game like this we need everybody putting something in positive.”

Izzo said the Eagles were a tough team and that they played hard and showed something with pressure defense that Izzo says he did not get his team ready.

“I am a big fan of Charles,” Izzo said about the Eastern Michigan coach. “I have great respect for him and it is not an easy program to turn around.”

Eastern Michigan University will open the home schedule against Madonna University Wednesday afternoon Nov 17 at the Convocation Center beginning at noon.

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Written by Mel Suiter
Graduated from Eastern Michigan University in 2002 and have been working as a beat writer for The Ypsilanti Courier covering Eastern Michigan University football and men's basketball during my school career and after graduation.
I like the Mid-American Conference and the rest of the mid-major conferences.